Navy loss leaves Western Michigan positioned for Cotton Bowl

RALPH D. RUSSO, AP College Football Writer

Published
9:01 am CST, Saturday, December 3, 2016

The College Football Playoff selection committee will not have to wait for the Army-Navy game to complete the pairings for New Year's Six bowls after the Midshipmen lost to Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship game Saturday.

Unbeaten Western Michigan is positioned to be the highest-ranked team from the Group of Five conferences when the committee releases its final rankings Sunday. That would send the 13th-ranked Broncos to the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked champion from the Group of Five.

Western Michigan was 17th in the last playoff rankings and Navy was 19th. If the Midshipmen had won, the committee would have had to consider holding the Cotton Bowl spot open until Navy completed its season against Army next Saturday.